Eel basket



March l2, 1940. F NEUMANN 2,193,072

EEL BASKET Filed May 7,^1938,.

fire/7210A' iff-w mw Patented Mar. 12, 1940 y c 2,193,072 y EELWBASKETFriedrich Neumann, Eckernforde-on-theBaltic, Y Germany l Application May7, 1938,' Serial No. 206,546 En Germany May 12, 1937 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of the known pots orbaskets especially for catching eels.

The known baskets used for catching, eels use i for obtaining largecatches va guide net which extendsA from the basket mouth to theanchorage of the basket or to an opposite basket. This guide net isarranged in the middle of the basket mouth, in some instances also onthe two sides 3 thereof and isintended to guide the fish along the guidenet to the mouth of the basket. The guide nets are mostly set, accordingto the positionA of the basket, by poles pushed into the bed u of thebody of water or by some other means.

l It has been found that the baskets and guide nets thus laid do notlead to catches as large as.

might be expected. This is due to the fact that some` ofthe sh slip overthe guide net and thus reach, the open water, or when actually led up tothe basket mouth turn aside just before they reach the mouth and passinto the open water.

In this way a large portion of the catch is lost to the .fishermen andthe market.

This objection is overcome according to the invention in an advantageousmanner in that the basket has a basket fore-chamber with lateral pocketsand connected to aeroof net arranged over the guide net. The basketfore-chamber is preferably formed by connecting by means of nets the`gasket mouth with a frame bent in the form of ra shield and covered witha net in such a` manner as to leave an aperture of approximately thesame size as the basket mouth.' In another form of constructionaccording to the invention a roof net covering the guide net inlongitudinal direction is arranged on the upwardly directed sideI of theframe.

By this advantageous construction of the eel basket the fish areprevented from jumping over the guide net on the one hand and on theother hand the fish which have entered the basket mouth are already inthe fore-chamber of the basket from which escape is diilicult `owing tothe lateral pockets. f

iEspe-cially, for catching eels which are known to climb over obstaclesout of the water and in the case of ordinary baskets often avoid these,a much better catch is obtained with the basket ac-y cording to theinvention. Furthermore, the bas' ket yields good catches with all otherkinds of sh. The basket can be used in waters in which the use ofordinary baskets presents great dilculties. p i f An embodiment of theinvention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying draw?ing, in which: i i

' Fig. 1 shows the eel basket in side elevation,

. fore-chamber.

, nected therewith. The roof net h claim 1, in whichthe `roof net is `isextended by a netting to form a basket fore-A 5 1 chamber b which on theside remote from the basket mouth is connected tov a frame d over -whicha net c is stretched. The net c of the frame oZ leaves free an opening ecorresponding in size to theI basket mouth. The frame d has forwardlybent lateral portions over which the netting is stretched to formvforwardly tapering wedge shaped pockets f which render it diiiicult `foreels and iish to escape from the fore-chamber. Aroof net h stretched byseveral holding straps g is secured to' the upper edge* of the frame dand covers the entire length of a guide net i arranged in the middle ofthe entrance aperture of the rIv'he roof `net h is of a widthcorresponding to the width of the fore-chamber aperture. One end of theguide net z' extends into the fore-chamberA b where it is secured to thenetting, whereas its other end is attached with the roof net h in knownmanner to a pole or the like rammed in the body of Water. The roof net hmay be slightly curved or made in wedge shape so as toincrease itsguiding capacity and connected with the guide net i or with the holdingrope ic of the same. The ropelc has floats Z which support the guide neti and the roof 3 net h in thewater.

It is evident that, besides' the guide net z', lateral `guide wings mayalso be provided one on each side of the basket fore-chamber andcondifferent shapes and `widths to that shown.

I claim:`

i n l. An eel basket arrangement, comprisingy in combination an eelbasket having a mouth, a fore-chamber at the mouth of said basket, 1at oeral pockets in said forefchainber, a guide net extending from the mouthof said fore-chamber, and a roofL net covering said guide net andconnected'to said fore-chamber. i p 2. An eel basketarrange'ment asspecified 1h45 oi a Width approximately corresponding to the width ofthe entrance to the basket fore-chamber. y 3. An eel basket arrangementas specified in claim l, in which the roof` net covers the guide netalong its entire length.

4.`An eel basket arrangement as specied in claim l, in which the| roofnet and the guide net are rigidly connected, and a carrying rope supports said guide net and said roof net and holds `them in position.

FRIEDRICH may i be of 35

